Chaetomorpha nutrient control

[Nowell]

My objective is to repeat the nitrate control demonstrated by BRS with my vacant quarantine tank lit by a Kessil A350W.

Aquarium is a CPR 25 gallon from the late 90s. Salt added today was Reef Crystals to a specific gravity of 1.024. Temp 78 F. Aquarium contains 3 small scarlet hermits and 34g of Chaetomorpha. Photoperiod will be 10 hours in a otherwise dark basement with both channels at 100%. Water movement is with a Rio 800. Five, 1mm sinking pellets of New Life Spectrum will be added daily. No skimmer.

I’ll add photos, one minute drip dried Chaeto weight and nitrate levels (Salifert) every few days. Experiment to run at least one month.

Clearly the light is not ideal, but it’s available.

 

[Orm Embar]

Watching; I'd also be curious as to how well alternate macroalgae worked (gracilaria and/or dragon's breath). I'd expect chaeto or gracilaria to be the winners, although I have no actual data beyond personal observations to back up that assertion ;-)

 

[Nowell]

Added MP40 on day one to allow light to hit from every angle and to suspend the Chaeto in the water column, allowing a higher average PAR exposure. The ball has become compacted and rounded by banging into the walls, possibly reducing light exposure to the core.

Day 0 34g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 3 37g NH4 0.0 NO3 0

 

[WesleyC]

Yea, when the flow is too strong and have it keep banging on the wall, it doesn't work too well. Just need a small pump and keep the water circulate. The chaeto would just spin slowly in the middle. It will stay loose and grow fast.

 

[WesleyC]

Day 0 34g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 3 37g NH4 0.0 NO3 0

By the way, with that much light, you may need to have higher nitrate to keep it growing. Or it will simply turn light(/white) and die.

 

[Forsaken77]

My objective is to repeat the nitrate control demonstrated by BRS with my vacant quarantine tank lit by a Kessil A350W.

Aquarium is a CPR 25 gallon from the late 90s. Salt added today was Reef Crystals to a specific gravity of 1.024. Temp 78 F. Aquarium contains 3 small scarlet hermits and 34g of Chaetomorpha. Photoperiod will be 10 hours in a otherwise dark basement with both channels at 100%. Water movement is with a Rio 800. Five, 1mm sinking pellets of New Life Spectrum will be added daily. No skimmer.

I’ll add photos, one minute drip dried Chaeto weight and nitrate levels (Salifert) every few days. Experiment to run at least one month.

Clearly the light is not ideal, but it’s available.

Instead of adding food to the tank, you can use Brightwell FaStart. It's nitrate and phosphate in a bottle. It'll keep the solids out of the tank and keep the chaeto from getting grunged up.

 

[Nowell]

But I’ve got crabs...I mean...nevermind.

 

[WesleyC]

I wouldn't even put crabs in there. Just let the food rot. It's fine. More nitrate.

Just for your reference, this is my chaeto tank:

 

[Nowell]

Turned off idling MP40.

Bumped daily pellet dose from 5 to 15 today.

 

[Nowell]

Added a second Kessil for a rude amount of light. Daily 15 pellet dose continues.

Day 0 34g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 3 37g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 7 35g NH4 0.0 NO3 0

 

[WesleyC]

Unless you have abundant amount of flow and nutrient, it would kill the chaeto when it has too much light. Watch out for it turning white/light color and/or getting thin/weak.

 

[Nowell]

Turned down blue channel to 50%. Ammonia never detectable. Will follow nitrate only going forward.

Day 0 34g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 3 37g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 7 35g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 14 40g NO3 0

 

[Nowell]

Day 0 34g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 3 37g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 7 35g NH4 0.0 NO3 0
Day 14 40g NO3 0
Day 21 41g NO3 0

Clearly lights designed to grow coral are not ideal to grow macroalgae. TaoTronic grow lights (2) ordered yesterday. Hair algae noted along back wall which has likely become a nutrient sink, slowing Chaeto growth. Small long spine urchin added. I did not intend to alter myriad variables at the onset.

 

[Nowell]

 

[Nowell]

Day 00 34g NO3 0
Day 07 35g NO3 0
Day 14 40g NO3 0
Day 21 41g NO3 0
Day 28 47g NO3 0